Chapter 213: Chapter 212: SAO Is 150,000 Votes From the Top and the Warrior of Love Is Back [BONUS]

Bonus Chapter at 1500 PS

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By mid-November, the latest Chapters of the Sword Art and the Initial D were released back-to-back.

Since Asuna’s introduction in Chapter Five, the girl officially designated by the fans as the one and only True Waifu, the narrative of Sword Art Online had primarily centered on the blossoming relationship between her and the protagonist, Kirito. The tone of the novel had shifted into something more lighthearted and witty, peppered with moments of genuine romantic sweetness.

However, it wasn’t a shallow daily life story; Haruto expertly wove in high-stakes floor-boss raids, deep-dives into the game’s mechanics, and psychological explorations of how different player factions behaved within their digital prison.

By balancing the romance with the progression of the main plot, the story moved forward seamlessly.

Before the readers knew it, the front-line clearing group had reached the fiftieth floor of Aincrad. The novel’s popularity was surging vertically with every passing week. When the latest Chapter dropped, the reader vote count in Kiyozawa Library magazine reached a staggering 2.3 million.

It was now only 150,000 votes away from toppling the magazine’s reigning champion, Crimson Abyss. For a work to go from its debut to nearly conquering the top spot in a flagship magazine in just two months was a feat that had no precedent in the history of the light novel industry. Of course, this trajectory was strikingly similar to the one Initial D had blazed through Weekly Prime just a month or two prior.

If it happened once, you could call it luck.

But for two consecutive works, plus the massive cinematic success of To the Moon, to hit the bullseye of the otaku heart every single time? Even the most stubborn anti-fans of Haruto were forced to stay silent. Their only remaining ammunition in online debates was to claim that while Shiori was influential, his impact still paled in comparison to the legendary Warrior of Love.

However, while Sword Art Online was on the verge of a historic victory in Kiyozawa Library, Initial D found itself at the center of a massive fan controversy this week.

The Usui Pass arc, which had been serializing for nearly two months, finally reached its conclusion. The duel between the Ghost of Akina and Usui’s top-tier racing duo had been hailed as the most exciting Chapter. But the emotional fallout was what really got people talking.

The romantic tangle between the arc’s heroine, Mako Sato, the lovable loser Iketani, and the superstar racer Ryosuke Takahashi was already complicated enough.

For Mako, her crush on Ryosuke was like a schoolgirl’s admiration for a distant celebrity. In reality, Iketani was the one who had been by her side. Her plan was to have one last glorious race against the 86, retire from the street-racing world, and settle down with Iketani.

It was a beautiful setup that the audience was eager to see fulfilled. But once the race ended, Iketani allowed his petty insecurities to take the wheel. Feeling that a relationship bought with a favor was beneath his dignity, he initially decided to stand Mako up at their designated meeting spot.

By the time the gas station manager slapped some sense into him and he realized his immaturity, he hopped in his car and raced toward the neighboring prefecture. But fate intervened in the form of a traffic jam caused by an accident on the highway. Mako waited for him for over five hours. At the stroke of midnight, she finally gave up and left. He arrived exactly six hours late.

"I’m never wearing sandals again!"

That single line from Mako, uttered in total despair after standing in one spot for hours in uncomfortable shoes for a boy who never showed up, left the readers devastated. Her car spun a perfect 720-degree rotation before vanishing into the night, leaving Iketani behind in the dust of his own regret. The Initial D fanbase went into a total meltdown.

"Pain. Just pure, unadulterated pain."

"What kind of life did Shiori-sensei live to write a plot like this? Why would you do this to us?"

"The worst part isn’t that they missed each other because of a misunderstanding. It’s that she waited five and a half hours, but couldn’t wait that last thirty minutes. And he realized his mistake, but the universe stopped him with a traffic jam. It’s just cruel."

"You can blame the setting. Shiori-sensei set this in the nineties. If they had smartphones, one call would have fixed everything. They were defeated by the lack of technology."

"I have one question: Why didn’t Iketani just go explain the traffic jam to her the next day?"

"How do you even explain that? You’re supposed to meet at seven and you don’t show up by midnight? If you blame a traffic jam, it just sounds like a pathetic lie from someone who didn’t value the relationship. Mako was there on time. Iketani was the one who was going to stand her up anyway. If he tried to make excuses later, he’d just lose the last shred of his dignity. It’s over."

"This reminds me of my own breakup. She misunderstood me, I was too proud to apologize, and we just drifted apart. I look back now and realize I was an idiot, but it’s too late. She’s already with someone else."

"This plot actually made me cry."

"I honestly don’t know what goes on in Shiori-sensei’s head. Is Takumi and Natsuki the only couple allowed to be happy in this entire series?"

"So far, Takumi and Natsuki are rock solid. Their romance is flawless. Though I’m still worried about those brief glimpses of Natsuki’s situation in the background. I wonder if there is going to be a challenge for Takumi."

"Oh, I can see it now. The Mercedes-driving man looks down on the 86, only to be absolutely humiliated on the mountain pass by Takumi’s driving."

"Man, I’m still paralyzed by the Iketani and Mako ending. It’s been twenty-four hours and I still haven’t recovered."

"There aren’t many geniuses like Takumi in the real world. Most of us are just ordinary guys like Iketani."

The topics of the 720-degree spin, Never wearing sandals again, and Iketani the Blockhead trended across every major manga forum. Initial D had officially entered a phase where the romantic subplots were becoming just as iconic, and as heartbreaking, as the racing itself. The readers hadn’t realized it yet, but the series was about to double down on the philosophy that racers don’t need women.

---

A few more days slipped by.

The battle for the new serialization slot at Kiyozawa Library had lasted for four grueling days. Nine of the most prominent light novel authors had submitted manuscripts, all vying for a single opening in the magazine.

Among the contenders were industry veterans with long-standing ties to the publisher and authors whose previous works had achieved legendary sales figures.

When the results were finally announced, the industry was left in a state of shock.

[The new work from the genius teenage prodigy, Reina, titled "Absolute Realm", will begin serialization in the December issue of Kiyozawa Library!]

Kiyozawa Library made the official announcement on their website that afternoon. The competition had been incredibly tight; by the final round of voting, Reina’s work was neck-and-neck with other veteran manuscripts.

In terms of pure narrative innovation and prose quality, Reina’s work was the undisputed winner.

However, her competitors had massive fanbases that guaranteed a safe return on investment. It was a classic merit versus marketability deadlock.

The tie was broken when one of the senior editors pointed out Reina’s history. Back in Minamijo, Reina and Shiori had been rivals.

While she had always been one step behind him in terms of commercial raw power, she was widely considered the only young author capable of standing on the same stage as him. The editor suggested that Kiyozawa Library could market them as fated rivals and hometown schoolmates, much like the successful duo of Haruto and Shizuru over at Weekly Prime.

The board of executives loved the idea. Weekly Prime’s Genius Star Duo campaign had been a marketing masterclass.

If Kiyozawa Library could create a narrative around a Destined Final Showdown between two young titans, the engagement would be off the charts. Furthermore, Reina’s beauty was easily on par with Shizuru’s. She had the talent and the image to be a superstar.

And so, Reina’s new series cleared the editorial hurdle. That evening, Haruto, Yukino, and Shizuru hosted a celebratory dinner at the villa.

Reina was visibly relieved. No matter how good a story is, it needs time and a platform to breathe. Even in the original world, legendary titles had struggled with low popularity in their early Chapters.

By passing the serialization meeting, Reina had moved the fate of her work out of the hands of a few editors and into the hands of millions of readers.

For the first time in over a year, she and Haruto would be serializing in the same magazine again, competing head-to-head.

If you removed the cheat code that was Haruto from the equation, Reina was a once-in-a-decade prodigy. Even with Haruto casting a long shadow, she was determined to let her own light shine through.

---

Two days later.

The wave of discussion surrounding Sword Art Online and Initial D reached its peak in November, only to be suddenly eclipsed by a massive announcement from Haru-Yuki Animation.

The studio released two bombshells simultaneously.

Production details for the new anime, 7 Years From Now.

Production details for the new anime, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.

It had been six months since Madoka Magica concluded, but the Warrior of Love fever had yet to subside.

The Warrior of Love was still a top-tier figure to anime fans. And now... he was back.

Not just with one new series, but two.